


Heart and Home

by Kitsune_Moonstar



Category: Tin Man (2007)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-18
Updated: 2013-02-17
Packaged: 2017-11-29 16:09:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 6,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/688878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitsune_Moonstar/pseuds/Kitsune_Moonstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of DG and Cain one-shots set after the eclipse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. After the Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Tin Man or its characters.

**After the Dawn**

DG sighed and slumped against the wall. She was exhausted. The problem was DG didn't want to go to sleep. She was fairly certain that if she did, she'd have more nightmares. The one's she had while tramping across the O.Z. in search of the emerald had been bad enough. Given the events of the past few days, especially the time she spent in that coffin, DG was certain that the new ones would be worse. And that was why she was trying to find something else to keep her busy.

She'd spent the day with Az and Siri, the resistance fighter's medic, working on the wounded. They'd found Az a change of clothes and fixed her hair, so she looked less like the witch. DG would have spared her sister if she could have, but Az knew the most magic right now, and they needed as many fighters as they could get. They had dealt with the longcoats that were here at the tower, but DG knew there were others. Besides, it was good for people to see Az as herself rather than the sorceress. She'd been worried when they had first arrived to help out, but it seemed that Az's own behavior was dealing with most of the problems. DG had overheard one of the older men say:

"The girl's afraid of her own shadow. That ain't the witch."

Az had a long way to go, but DG was confidant that her big sister would recover. She was looking forward to getting to know her sister again. However, none of that solved her current problem. She needed to find something to keep her hands and mind busy. The wounded had been treated the best they could manage. Jeb had ordered Siri to get some rest, and Glitch had taken Az back up to their parents. DG had the feeling that if she tried to help out with any of the preparations for setting up camp in the tower, someone would tell Cain, and she'd be dragged off to bed.

The young woman was in over her head, and she knew it. DG had been able to manage running around the countryside on a quest to save the O.Z., but the idea of being a princess daunted her. She was a grease monkey and waitress from Kansas. She didn't know anything about proper manners or politics. It didn't help that she really couldn't remember her family. Her only memories of her sister and her mother were the ones that had surfaced to help her find the emerald. DG couldn't remember Ahamo at all.

That was another reason she was avoiding rejoining the family and getting some rest. It was awkward and uncomfortable. For DG her parents were still the couple from Kansas that had raised her. She didn't know how to act or interact with the Queen and Ahamo. Azkadellia was easier. All Az really need from her was reassurance that DG didn't hate her. Which DG didn't, but it was sometimes hard facing her sister knowing that her actions had condemned Az to be possessed by the witch for all these years. Truthfully, the only people she was really comfortable with here were Cain, Glitch, and Raw.

"What are you up to now, Princess?"

Speak of the devil. DG tried to muster a smile for Cain.

"Just talking a walk."

"Uh huh." He wasn't buying it.

DG fiddled with her sleeves. "I thought I'd help the resistance fighters get the camp set up."

Cain raised an eyebrow. DG sighed.

"I don't want to go to sleep. I'll dream about the coffin."

Cain frowned. "What coffin, DG?"

Right. She hadn't told them about that. She wasn't sure she wanted to. It would probably make everyone even more overprotective. She didn't need people worrying about her any more than they already were. Of course, given the look on Cain's face, she probably wasn't going to have a choice in the matter unless she escaped right now. And since she was now trapped between the wall and Cain's arms, DG didn't think that was likely.

"What coffin, DG?" he repeated.

She gave in. "After I got the emerald, but before you guys found me, the witch showed up. She did something and made Ahamo disappear then took the emerald. Then she said I looked good in marble and did something. The next thing I knew I was in the coffin in the Gale Mausoleum. It took me twenty minutes before I could get out."

DG blinked. Sometime during her explanation she had ended up in Cain's arms rather than trapped by them. She was tucked up against him in what DG could only describe as a comforting embrace. There was a hand stroking her hair, and she felt something tight in her chest release. She was safe. She wasn't panicking like she always did when she thought about it.

"Darlin'," his voice was soothing, "you're safe now. I won't let anything happen to you. If you're worried about being shut in, we'll find some place with lots of windows for you to sleep. I'll stay with you, and if you have nightmares, I'll wake you up, and we'll just talk."

DG let him lead her back towards the rooms the Royal family had settled into. She was exhausted enough to lean on him and just let Cain take care of her. Oddly enough, she found her body relaxing and herself yawning. The last thing DG really remembered was being tucked into a bed by Cain and feeling safe. Maybe she would get some sleep after all.


	2. Drawn Together

**Drawn Together**

DG's problem was that it didn't take her long to get frustrated, and she had none of her usual stress relief activities. Honestly, it wasn't her fault that she couldn't remember the history or manners she had learned as a child. She wasn't trying to be difficult, but there were times when she just got so exasperated with everything. She was doing her best, but she had grown up in another world, and she barely remembered this one. DG knew it was important that she learn what she needed to quickly. There was still a lot of work to do before the O.Z. was healed, and the Royal family needed to be present and appear strong.

The hard part was when ever her frustrations reached a peak, DG couldn't go for a ride on her motorcycle or go work on some machines until she calmed down. She couldn't even go for a horseback ride by herself. DG had always enjoyed copious amounts of time on her own growing up, and she was finding it hard to function without them. She didn't even have a sketchbook any more. Still, she was trying to deal the best she could, but she still felt like tearing her hair out and screaming a lot of the time.

Today was one of those days. DG was ready to loose it when Cain dragged her away from Tutor. He took her out to the gazebo and thrust a pad of paper and some charcoal pencils into her hands. She looked up at him in question, and the tin man just shrugged.

"I figured you needed something to do to cool off, kiddo. You were looking ready to strangle Tutor."

DG flashed him a thankful smile and began to sketch. It wasn't long before all sorts of images began to fill the paper. The sketchpad quickly became her lifeline. Whenever the stress started to get to her, DG would try and find a quiet corner to sit down and drawn in. She didn't have to worry about running out of supplies either. When she had returned to her room that first evening, DG had found a stack of sketchpad and a box of charcoals waiting for her. Cain had shrugged off her thanks, and she still couldn't figure out a proper thank you gift for him.

The subjects of her drawings were varied. Sometimes she drew things from back home while other times scenes from her adventures appeared. Her friends and family took up most of the space. She captured all sorts of things. Everything from the look Glitch wore when trailing off in the middle of a sentence to the way he looked when helping Azkadellia with something. There were sketches of Raw teaching Kalm and Jeb training his men. There were even a few of Jeb and his lady medic friend. She captured all sorts of the aspects of the Outer Zone. DG was surprised at times about how much detail she remembered from her first few days here.

The one thing that appeared the most often though was Cain. DG had pictures of Wyatt Cain ranging from their first meeting to the way he looked when he was guarding her. Her sketches of him were the one thing she hadn't shared about her drawings with anyone. They had become too personal. However, they had given her an idea for a thank you gift. It was an easy thing to put together a portrait of the two Cain men together. It was harder to keep it a secret from the tin man. DG enlisted Jeb's help in getting a frame for the drawing; she wanted something that would suit the older man.

She would never forget the look on his face when he opened it. It was something between shock and awe. And DG unaccountably became nervous.

"You don't have any pictures of you and Jeb together, and I thought you might like one. It's not much, but I wanted to thank you for the art supplies and--"

He cut her off with a swift kiss. "Thank you, darlin'."

DG blushed and smiled. Maybe she'd make him a few more portraits later.


	3. Magical

**Magical**

There was something about Finaqua that made DG feel more at home. She didn't know if it was because of the happy memories she had of the place or if it was the fact that she had brought this piece of the O.Z. back herself. DG had been rather startled when her mother had revealed that the recovery of Finaqua was DG's doing and not part of the message spell. DG hadn't realized just how powerful she was until then. She hadn't exactly taken it well either. In fact, DG would admit to panicking. She had nearly given herself hysterics, and it had taken Cain pointing out that she had been that powerful before without a clue how to use it without harming any of them when they were traveling together.

She knew it was true when Cain told because it was Cain. He had never lied to her or deceived her, and he was so practical about things that she knew it had to be true. If she was a danger, he would have told her so, and then he would have made the appropriate plans to protect them all. That was just who he was. And more than anyone else, Cain was her touchstone here. He was the one who kept her from completely losing it when everything got to be too much.

DG wasn't exactly what her parents had expected. They were proud of her, yes, but they really didn't understand her or what she had left behind. They didn't seem to understand her grief over the loss of her robot parents as well. When everyone had been staying the Tower after the Witch's defeat, they had come across the mangled remains of Momster and Popsicle. Not even Glitch thought they were repairable. Between that and the fact that the O.Z. was really a foreign country to her, DG had been pretty off balance. Running around the O.Z. trying to save the world had been one thing. Living here was quite another.

It wasn't completely bad though. For all of the insanity of this place, it did feel like home sometimes. And she had found her way to some of the best friends that she had ever had. DG turned her head to the side, looking away from the blue sky to glance at the Tin Man whose lap her head was resting in. He was leaned back against a tree with his hat pulled down, so it looked like he was napping. DG knew better, but she wasn't about to call his bluff. It was too peaceful right now. Content and safe in the presence of her Tin Man, DG had to admit there really was something about this place that was magical.


	4. In Hiding

**In Hiding**

This probably wasn't appropriate behavior for a Royal Princess of the Outer Zone. DG didn't really care. Until Cain got back from his trip to see Jeb, she wasn't going to come out of hiding. No way, no how. Not with all those suitors out there. It was like someone had put up a big neon sign that said 'princess of eligible marriage age available here'. And the worst part was both Ahamo and the Queen seemed to think it would be a good idea for her to get married, and that she should spend time with these idiots. DG just knew that if she spent any amount of time with one of them, she was going to do something unbefitting of a Princess of the O.Z.

All of them were idiots. The amount varied, but she had yet to meet a single one of them that met any of her standards for a life partner. If Cain were here, DG wouldn't have been so worried. Her Tin Man had a way of getting her through all of her official duties while keeping her entertained and coming up with reasons to get her away from people when she needed to escape. She didn't know how she would survive court without him. Hence the hiding. But DG wasn't about to begrudge him a visit to see his son, and she had put on a good face when he left. Cain deserved a chance to reconnect with Jeb, and she was not going to interfere with that no matter how problematic it was for her.

So far, her plan had been working pretty well. No one had managed to find all of her hiding places yet, though she had lost about half of them now, and DG had been able to sneak about unseen by both the court and the servants for the most part. The few servants who had seen her were willing to keep quiet thankfully. And there was always plenty of food in the kitchens which was easy for her to flitch. Hopefully, Cain would be home soon, and she could go back to living like a normal person. Well, as normal as an otherside raised Princess of the O.Z. could be. As much as she loved the Outer Zone, there were times that DG missed the freedom she had on the otherside. There were a lot more restrictions on her here.

Some of them were understandable. It was a well known fact that she had played a major role in defeating the witch, and there were those who wanted revenge on her for that. That was why Cain was her almost constant companion. However, it was some of the manners and etiquette expected of her as a princess that really drove her crazy. Princesses were humans too. Why weren't they allowed to act like them? Az was so much better at that part of being a princess than she was. And Az didn't have to worry about suitors. That was in part due the whole being possessed by the witch thing, but there was also the fact that Glitch was so obviously besotted with her, and everyone agreed that it would be a wonderful match for everyone involved.

Unfortunately for her, DG had yet to find someone like that for herself. Well, that wasn't quite true. If Cain had been interested in her romantically, it would be another story. But DG didn't really think that was the case, and it wasn't like there was an easy way to ask him about it. Especially not without bring up painful subjects for the man. So DG was keeping her silence on that matter. Hopefully this whole suitors and marriage idea would be forgotten before too long. DG didn't mind being the bachelor princess and spoiling whatever nieces and nephews she had. As long as she still had Cain's friendship, she would be fine.

A hand came down on her shoulder, and DG jumped. Cain peered over her shoulder.

"What exactly are we hiding from?"

DG blinked then threw herself into his arms. "You're back!"

He returned the hug. "You didn't answer my question, Princess."

She sighed. "I don't want to run into any of my suitors. They're idiots and they're everywhere."

Cain raised an eyebrow. "So you're the one hiding. Next time one of them shows up, I'll set him straight."

DG fought to keep a straight face. There were some things that an overprotective Tin Man was extremely useful when dealing with. Cain wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"So how much trouble have you gotten into while I was gone?"

As they headed down the hallway, DG felt herself relax. It was good to have him home. She had been running out of places to hide.


	5. Simplicity

**Simplicity**

There were days when DG though that being royal complicated everything. For instance, because of royal conventions, Glitch, Cain, Tutor, and Raw couldn't simply be thanked for the part they played in defeating the witch. No, there had to be ceremonies and the giving out of titles. It was not exactly what any of them would have liked (including DG), but they put up with all the pomp. That was when DG first had the inkling of how sick she was going to get of all the royal fuss. And it seemed to follow her everywhere. She couldn't even hold a simple dinner for friends.

It also made even attempting to start a relationship difficult. DG had watch Az and Glitch stumble through the proper steps for a court romance with clumsiness and embarrassment. When they were alone (or just in her company) however, both of them seemed more at ease, and the love that was between them was so easy to see. Still, their courtship was clearly more of a headache because of Az's status. That was easy enough for DG to see when she looked at the way Jeb Cain went about pursuing the young medic he was so enamored of.

So when it came to her relationship with Wyatt Cain, DG had not exactly followed the rules. Of course, given that they had never defined the relation as anything other than bodyguard and protectee with a side of friendship thrown in, perhaps they weren't exactly breaking the rules. It was just little changes that started to happen. Things like being in constant physical contact whether it be Wyatt's hand at the small of her back or DG's hand tucked in his elbow. Then there were stolen kisses and DG falling asleep using him for a pillow. There were no grand gestures, no fancy words, just a simple understand of each other and their feelings for one another.

And then life decided to complicate things for DG once again. Her mother, in her infinite wisdom, decided that it would be a good thing for DG to get to know the nobles her own age. What this actually meant was DG was on the marriage market. She had been descended on by a horde of noble men, all who liked the idea of becoming part of the royal family. It was a royal mess. That was for sure. Of course, the fact that they were following the traditional courting process did make it rather easier to escape and ignore them. DG really wasn't interested in any of them, even if there had been one among them that wasn't an idiot or power hungry.

Still, it was clear that none of them were going to leave anytime soon unless she did something about it. What to do was the question. She clearly wasn't going to marry one of them, but short of announcing a wedding, DG wasn't sure what would get them out of her hair. Inspiration finally struck one morning at breakfast. It was the one meal where everyone ate together. The food was set up in a central hall on the sideboard, and people helped themselves before finding a seat at the long table. DG had been sitting across from Cain with Az by her side. She could see suitors eyeing her from where she sat, and she was really sick of it. So she looked up from her toast and met Wyatt's eyes.

"Hey, Wyatt, will you marry me?"

You could have heard a pin drop. Her Tin Man blinked, clearly startled, and then a slow smile spread across his face.

"Sure, darlin'."

And with that breakfast continued. Simplicity really was the answer.


	6. Promises

**Promises**

There had been a great deal of compromise when it came down to it. As a princess of the O.Z. and the defeater of the witch, the public demanded something of a spectacle when it came down to DG's wedding. DG wanted something simple and intimate, just her family and friends. Cain didn't really care as long as they ended up married when it was over with. It had taken them a full two months to come to any sort of agreement on what exactly would take place, and that was without doing any of the wedding planning at all. It had been something of a mess.

In the end, DG had mostly gotten her way. Being stubborn had helped. The ceremony was going to be a little larger than she had wanted with a number of the O.Z.'s nobles in attendance, but it was not going to be the public spectacle her mother had wanted. Nor was there going to be the cadre of attendants her mother had wanted. Az would be the maid of honor, and DG had three bridesmaids besides her one of which was Jeb Cain's fiancée. The groomsmen and best man had been easy to name. Glitch, Raw, and Jeb of course had to participate. DG would have it no other way.

But really, nothing else seemed to matter once she was standing there with Wyatt, her hands clasp in his, as the priest performed the ceremony. All she could see were Wyatt's blue eyes. It was as if they were the only people there. DG probably wouldn't have noticed if a bomb had gone off. The words were different than the ones she was used to, but their meaning was the same. Time almost seemed frozen. DG didn't even realize that the ceremony was over until the announcement that they could kiss came. She didn't even remember saying her vows.

It didn't matter though. When Wyatt kissed, DG knew everything this they had promised each other. Love, protection, faith, friendship, support, all of those were tied up in that kiss. And that was all the promise she ever needed.


	7. On the Otherside

**On the Otherside**

She honestly had never thought she would be back here. DG had figured that the O.Z. was home for good. While it was true that the current situation was only temporary, that still didn't really prepare her for the shock of being back in Kansas. Even without out her roboparents, the homestead still felt very much like home. Only now there was something missing in the form of her husband. DG had arrived on the otherside just yesterday. She would be staying here until some one came and told her it was safe for her to return to the O.Z. Wyatt had thought it would only be a few months. That was still too long her book.

At least DG had a cover story about what had happened to her before. As far as people around here knew, her parents had been killed in a car accident near Kansas City, and DG had gone to stay with family friends afterwards, not feeling able to return to the farm at that point. Not like she was going to be able to run the farm as it was. There were two reasons DG had been sent back here. The situation back home was that some of the Longcoats had banded together with some of the nobles who had benefited from the witch's reign. They had been trying to kill her for almost a year now, and there had been some very close calls lately. And when DG had discovered she was pregnant, that had been the last straw for her parents.

DG was dealing with it the best she could. She had set up the farm house as an art studio and was using the time to get to all the art projects she had put off because of one royal duty or another. It was relaxing, and it was one of the few things that was keeping her sane. The worst part was being away from Wyatt. They hadn't been separated for longer than a weekend since they'd been married, and she was used to his constant presence. And it wasn't fair that he was missing out on her pregnancy. DG had only just begun to show now, and she wanted him to be here to share in both her frustrations and joy.

The fact that she was now visibly pregnant was going to pose something of a problem now. DG had not given a lot of details out when she had run into people she knew, but her pregnancy was defiantly going to cause talk. She didn't actually go into town all that much any more, but she did have to get groceries. It wasn't like she cared what people thought of her, but DG didn't need anyone making her life more difficult than it already was, and some people could be pretty small minded.

Still, when the craving for pie hit, DG headed for the diner. She had quickly learned that pregnancy induced cravings did not go away if you ignored them. It appeared to be a pretty slow day. DG ordered a slice of apple pie and a hot chocolate and chatted with the waitress. She was new (she was probably DG's replacement), and DG enjoyed having the chance to talk to someone. The door opened, and DG suddenly had a sinking feeling as her high school nemesis walked into the diner.

Kayla Davis had been the pretty, popular cheerleader, and unfortunately, DG had gotten on her bad side a number of times. She had done her level best to make high school miserable for DG, and it had been a relief to graduate. Kayla was one of the reasons DG never felt like she really belonged here. DG didn't really know what she had done since graduation, and truthfully, she was willing to let bygones be bygones. DG had a life that she loved now, and she didn't feel the need to prove that she belonged here.

"I should have guessed." There was a sneer in Kayla's voice. "So you came back because you got knocked up. Your boyfriend kick you out?"

DG sipped her hot chocolate. Having to deal with the O.Z.'s politics taught you a thing or two about keeping your temper, even if she still wasn't particularly good at it. She did actually have a cover story for this though.

"Actually, my husband would have preferred that I stay close to home. However, he is in law enforcement, and the current investigation he's working on is proving rather hazardous to those involved's loved ones. It seemed prudent to get out of state for awhile."

Kayla's face twisted into a frown. "Ri-ight. You expect me to believe that someone like you actually managed to get married? Yeah right. You probably slept with some police officer to get out of trouble and then had to leave town when you realized that you were pregnant."

DG wasn't interested in starting a fight. Kayla probably wouldn't accept any version of the truth, and DG couldn't very well tell her that "Sorry, I'm a princess of an alternate dimension and I'm here since the followers of the witch I killed want me dead, and nobody wanted to risk the baby" without sounding crazy. Kayla smirked when she didn't reply to that. DG was still trying to come up with a response that wouldn't turn this confrontation any nastier when the door opened again. The next thing she knew, a pair of familiar arms had wrapped around her.

"Feeling all right, darlin'?" Her husband's drawl was a welcome sound.

DG tipped her head back to look at him. "I'm fine, but your son has a sweet tooth."

"You mean our daughter."

She wrinkled her nose at him. The gender of the baby was an ongoing debate between the two of them.

Kayla was openly gaping at the two of them. DG couldn't really bring herself to care. With her Tin Man back her side, DG was ready to face just about anything, including former high school bullies.


	8. Wrapped Around Her Little Finger

**Wrapped Around Her Little Finger**

Adora Emily Cain had a head of dark hair, bright blue eyes, and control over just about every male in her life. That was quite a bit of power for a three month old. Her Uncle Glitch was absolutely mesmerized by her and would spend hours making faces to entertain her. Ahamo too was positively enchanted by his granddaughter. Even the fearsome Captain Jeb Cain of the Royal Guard seemed to turn into puddle of mush when it came to his half-sister. And none of them had anything on the girl's father.

DG found it all rather amusing. They were some of the most feared and dangerous men in the Outer Zone, and a little baby could easily defeat them. She had several pages in her current sketchbook filled with drawings of various people holding Adora. Her favorite was the one of Jeb. The look of baffled wonderment on his face had been priceless. She had been a little worried at first about how he would feel about having a sibling, but he had been thrilled about his little sister. Both he and Wyatt had been a little startled as well as very touched when she insisted on naming the girl Adora.

It hadn't been a conscious choice on DG's part. The first time she had held her daughter in her arms, she had just known that Adora was the right name for this baby. She vaguely remembered reading somewhere that Adora was Latin for beloved one, and this little girl certainly was that. As the first child born to the royal family since the witch's defeat, she was something of a little celebrity and had become even more of a symbol of hope for the people of the O.Z. than her mother was. It was rather amazing.

A cry pierced the air, and DG sighed. She hadn't been asleep, but she didn't really want to get out of bed either. She rolled to her side, preparing to leave the comfort of her bed, when her husband's hand touched her shoulder.

"Stay, darlin'. I'll get her."

And the other nice thing about having her daddy wrapped around Adora's little finger was that she rarely had to get up when the baby woke up in the middle of the night. If Adora needed her, Wyatt would bring her to DG. So she wasn't surprised when he reappeared carrying their daughter. DG settled the baby in her arms for a late night snack. Adora was a very lucky little girl with so many people loving her. DG smiled as Wyatt settled back in bed next to her. They both were very lucky girls.


	9. The More Things Change

**The More Things Change**

The diner door opened, and a curly haired girl bounced into the restaurant. She was followed by a more familiar face. DG Cain had grown up in the area, had even worked in the diner, but she hadn't lived around here in quite a while. The last time anyone had seen her she had been pregnant. DG followed her daughter to the counter and helped her climb up on one of the stools. Carter grinned from the kitchen.

"'bout time you stopped by for another visit. This the kid?"

DG laughed. "Sorry, Carter. These days I'm almost always busy. I even get to work on time."

They shared a laugh over that. The waitress fussed over the little.

"And what's your name, sweetheart?"

"Adora Emily Cain. I'm five."

"What do you want to eat, Adora?"

"Pie."

It was hard to believe sometimes that the dreamy, spacey DG was now all grown up with a career and a family. For all that she did seem more mature, there were things that hadn't changed. While her daughter ate her pie, DG idly sketched something in her notebook. But she wasn't so absorbed in her drawing that she failed to notice when her daughter had enough of her pie and decided that she would rather do some exploring. Within seconds DG had scooped her daughter up and helped her clean her face before finding something to keep the little girl entertained.

It was clear they were waiting for someone. DG laughed and chatted with the waitress, never really saying much about her job or her new home. She was always vague when it came to that. Of course, DG had always been vague when it came to certain things. These days it just seemed like it was on purpose rather than due to her constant daydreaming and woolgathering. DG had grown up.

The door opened once again, and a tall man strode over to DG and her daughter. He came up behind DG, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

"About ready to head home, darlin'?"

DG smiled up at him. "I think so. Adora's already bored, and she's had her pie. Did you hear from Glitch?"

He nodded. "Everything's all set. It figures she would be curious enough that we have to take her this far away so everyone could put together her surprise."

"Hey, I'm pretty sure she gets her persistence from you."

Adora practically launched herself off her stool and into her father's arms. The man laughed and caught her while DG began collecting their things. The family laughed and teased one another as they headed out the door. DG had changed over the years, but she was still DG.


	10. Home Is Where the Heart Is

**Home Is Where the Heart Is**

DG kicked her legs forward, swinging backward with easy. The gazebo swing was probably her favorite place at Finaqua even after all these years. The lake stretched out before, and DG could see Adora playing with her cousins under the watchful eye of Jeb. Finaqua was a retreat more than anything. The royal court was held either in the Northern Palace or in Central City. Finaqua was for the royal family to rest and have some peace at. It had been a haven in more ways than one over the years. Even if it was the site of some of DG's greatest regrets and worst memories, it was also the site of some of her best memories as well.

Her life hadn't exactly gone the way she had planned. Of course, DG had to admit when she made those plans, she hadn't known quite about who she was and where she had come from. She had come a long way from the girl who didn't really feel like she belonged. The O.Z. was home. She belonged here if only because those she loved belonged here. DG couldn't imagine her life without Wyatt, Glitch, Raw, Az, and Adora in it. She was home here because her heart was here.

A pair of hands settled on her shoulders, and DG leaned into the touch, tilting her head back to meet Wyatt's eyes. He smiled down at her.

"Darlin'?"

"Just woolgathering." Her smiled deepened. "I was thinking how lucky I was about ending up here."

"We're the lucky ones."

"I don't know." Her smile turned mischievous. "I have a feeling that things might have been calmer without me. Didn't you once say that when I wasn't finding trouble, trouble got bored and decided to find me?"

He chuckled. "Makes life interesting."

DG pushed up a little so she could kiss him. This really was home.


End file.
